Forbidden Planet International includes James Enge's The Wolf Ageon a list chosen by writer/editor/blogger John Freeman that includes movies and graphic novels. He calls the book "a knockout" in his Best of the Year.

"The mercenaries of the Raven journey to the heart of the elven continent of Calaius to save the land from dying in a superbly visualized fantasy adventure reminiscent of Glen Cook's classic Black Company tales."

"If you haven’t given Pyr releases a look, you really should. Their output, under the editorial hand of Lou Anders, is nothing short of amazing. By this I mean the number of releases of theirs that are consistently good. I had the chance to read a large number of their releases, particularly in the back half of the year (in fact I’m devouring Mike Resnick’s The Buntline Special as we speak), and most were good while some were simply outstanding. For UK readers Pyr publications might be difficult to get you hands on (actually, they are the US outlet for a number of originally British releases such as Syke’s Tome of the Undergates, Tchaikovsky’ Shadows of the Apt and Kent’s Danilov Quintet, which are all mentioned in the lists above) but trust me, importing their books through a service like Bookdepository.co.uk is well worth it."

"I discovered James Enge through his story in the Swords & Dark Magic anthology, and I am so glad that I did. His work has rekindled my love for sword & sorcery through its combination of vigorous action, depth of character, and crisp prose. People who call his prose 'slick' are missing some of its deeper pleasures, such as his economy of description, his deft characterizations, and a cavalcade of fascinating ideas that are woven together unassumingly into a cultural fabric that makes his work both warm and visceral. He takes the basic heroic mode of sword & sorcery and expands upon it even as he plays with it. His books have a classical heft to them, but are neither stiff nor dated. He refreshes the genre by taking old roads and then suddenly going off into the misty woods beyond, making new paths that wind in and out of our expectations. Really top-notch stuff!"

Update 12/30/10: The Mad Hatter's Bookshelf and Book Review has just posted the "Best Books of 2010 (That I've Read)" list. Mark Hodder's The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack wins for Best Steampunk novel, while Clay and Susan Griffith's The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire Book 1) is the runner-up for Best Vampire novel. Also worth noting, my own aforementioned anthology, Swords & Dark Magic, done for Eos and co-edited with Jonathan Strahan, makes Best Anthology. While not a Pyr book, several Pyr-related authors appear inside, including the James Enge story "The Singing Spear," which is scoring well with reviewers and turning many readers on to his novel length work.

“Diving into the Wreck is an intense, introspective, character-driven adventure that has moved to the top of my list of books to recommend to those who either have never tried science fiction, or are of the belief that science fiction isn’t for them.
Boss is a fully realized character. The reader sees Rusch’s created future unfold through the multi-dimensional person that springs to life on the page. Boss is flawed, she makes mistakes, her errors exact a price and that price affects her decision-making and the course she chooses for her life. She has old wounds and unforgiveness that surface. But she is also a bright, adventurous, caring and dedicated individual. She has a deep and abiding love of history and a respect for the historical value of the ships she dives. She is not a scavenger, she is an historian first and foremost. You cannot help but get to know Boss in a deep and personal way which makes for a very satisfying reading experience.”

And of Cyberabad Days:

“Cyberabad Days is a return to the world of Ian McDonald’s BSFA-winning novel River of Gods. Like an exotic dish, this collection of seven stories (6 previously published, 1 new), is flavored with spices from the old world and the new. I savored hints of Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick amidst what I might have initially thought was an incongruous mixture: a Britain born son of Irish and Scottish parents writing stories set in a future India, steeped in that nation’s rich cultural heritage. Cyberabad Days was a new and exciting literary experience, blending familiar science fiction ideas of future tech and artificial intelligence with a language and heritage that is far removed from my everyday experience. Ian McDonald brings the history of the Indian people, albeit a 'history' viewed from a time three plus decades in the future, in a way that sparks an interest in this diverse and storied nation.”

Update 1/3/2011: Pat's Fantasy Hotlist has issued their "The Hotties: 2010 Year End Awards." We're honored that Pyr has been named "Publisher of the Year." Pat writes, "With three Pyr titles in the Top 5 and four in the Top 10, it couldn't be any other publisher! The folks at Pyr celebrated their 5th anniversary this year. Keep up the great work! And long live!" Meanwhile, Stephan Martiniere's cover for Kay Kenyon's Prince of Storms gets the Best Cover Art Award. And I'm thrilled to receive the "MVP Award" for the second year in a row. Pat writes, "Yes, two years in a row! Last year I said that as the heart and soul behind the Pyr imprint, this man is pretty damn close to being a genius. Scratch that! He is a genius! Though he doesn't have the means of the genre powerhouses at his disposal, Lou Anders nevertheless manages to work wonders year in and year out. To the powers that be at Prometheus Books: Give this man a raise! God knows he deserves it!"

Update 3/22/11: Mihir of Fantasy Book Critic has posted his Top Ten list. Mark Chadbourn's The Silver Skull makes #7 in his list of Top Ten Novels 2010. Mihir says:

The Silver Skull was Mark Chadbourn’s opening Salvo in the Will Swyfte Alternate Hist-Fantasy series. It was a much darker re-imagining of Victorian England and its battle with the Fey court who are as devious as legends foretell and deadlier than the human imagination. Bringing together a cast of characters and a quick paced plot MC fascinatingly showcases bits and pieces of history mingled with a fast paced storyline to give jaded readers a new series to follow and cheer for.

This book was another winner from Pyr who are fast becoming a stable for new fascinating authors. Jon Sprunk debuted with his tale of an assassin with a semblance of a conscience and a unique-ish partner. This tale was very fast paced and in spite of utilizing tropes it managed to give the readers a fresh feel. This book was my nomination for The David Gemmell Legend Award as I feel it best encapsulates DG’s book themes

"This is a novel of near-future Istanbul. It begins with a suicide bomber on a crowded tram, and follows the lives of 6 very different people whose lives are all affected by this incident, and whose paths intersect. One witness to the bombing thereafter begins to see djinni and saints; a young invalid witnesses the event through the eyes of a BitBot monkey, and witnesses someone else also spying remotely; this boy shares his concerns with a disgruntled professor who has been forced into retirement; another woman is delayed by the blast in her effort to get to a job interview and consequently takes a job that involves her in a nanoware company; an antique dealer is set on a quest to find a man mummified in honey -- something that may exist or may be mere legend -- while her boyfriend is planning a stock-market scheme of unprecedented proportions. The tightly plotted story takes place over a brief period of time in a confined setting, the sprawling metropolis of Istanbul. But it is McDonald's writing and his handling of character that led SF Site readers to choose The Dervish House as the best book of 2010."

Update 4/12/11: Jasper Kent's Thirteen Years Later made the Booklist Editor’s Top 10 Best SFF Books for 2010.